Pandora's Daughter

'I don't have the right to trust them. The Ledger is more exposed to threat now than it has been for hundreds of years.'

'And it has to be protected.'

'You don't understand that?'

'I understand that you have a right to your life too.'

'I'm not going to give up my life. I'll just have to make adjustments.' She paused. 'Like you're going to have to do. You're a Listener. Every now and then you'll hear your voices and have to choose to ignore or try to help as you did Edmund.'

'I don't want to think about that now.'

Renata was silent. 'Then think about being a Pandora.'

Megan shook her head emphatically. 'I told you, Molino was nuts. He wanted Sienna dead and constructed a scenario that would agree with his fantasies.'

'Harley said Molino was scared shitless when you threatened to touch him at the cliff.'

'It was the only weapon I had.' She smiled mirthlessly. 'And he was out of his head. It was fitting that he killed himself because of his own delusions. It was almost as if my mother was finally able to get her revenge.'

'And you're sure you're not building your own scenarios?'

She stiffened. 'I'm being practical and reasonable. You of all people should appreciate that.'

Renata squatted beside her chair. 'Megan,' she said gently. 'We need to talk.'

GRADY MET MEGAN WHEN THE helicopter landed on the landing pad at Molino's place two hours later. 'What's wrong? I told you that I'd join you as soon as I-'

'She couldn't wait.' Renata got out of the pilot's seat and jumped to the ground. 'I tried to tell her that a few more hours wouldn't-'

'Renata, I may have found a lead on Adia.' Harley was walking toward them. 'Venable is being very close with those records, but there's a big file Molino kept that was cross-referenced with Hedda Kipler's activities. You said that she brought Molino that dress as a trophy?'

'Right.'

'Well, if Grady can pry those records away from Venable, I may be able to trace-'

'Later,' Megan said curtly. 'Come with me. I don't want to be stumbling over any of Venable's men.' She turned and headed for the small utility shack a few yards from the helicopter pad. She turned on the bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling of the shack. 'I want this over quickly.'

'Phillip?' Grady said gently. 'He didn't make it?'

'He's still alive. If you can call that coma being alive. But that's not why I'm here.'

Grady's gaze was narrowed on her face. 'You're excited. You're tense but I can practically feel the-What's happening?'

'Something good for a change.' Her hands were opening and closing at her sides. 'Renata, do it.'

But Renata already had her shirt unbuttoned. She slipped the bra straps off her shoulders. 'It's a good thing I have no false modesty. I'm getting a little tired of-'

'My God,' Grady whispered.

Megan took a step closer and touched Renata's shoulder. 'No wound. No scarring. The skin is smooth as silk. It's as if she'd never had a bullet tear through her shoulder.'

Harley gave a low whistle. 'What happened? What on earth did you do, Megan?'

'Nothing.' Megan paused. 'You did it, Harley.'

He stared at her, stunned. He shook his head. 'Bullshit.'

'That's what I said when Renata showed me her shoulder at Bellehaven. I was looking for any explanation that wouldn't lead to you.' She added grimly, 'Believe me; I didn't want it to be you, Harley. Because that would mean I had to accept the unacceptable.'

He shook his head again.

'Renata,' Megan said.

Renata shrugged. 'You're the one who bandaged my shoulder this afternoon, Harley.'

'Come on. I've done that any number of times in the past few days,' Harley said.

Renata nodded. 'But this time about an hour after I left the cliff it started to itch. I began to rub the scab around the wound but it felt… funny. So I pulled aside a little of the bandage to look at it.' She paused. 'The scab was flaking off and the wound…' She lifted her shoulders. 'You saw it. Total healing.'

'Then you did it, not me,' Harley said defensively. 'You're the one who's got all that psychic mojo.'

Renata shook her head. 'I'm not a healer.'

'Neither am I. Don't you try to tell me that I'm-'

Renata chuckled. 'You're scared. I was wondering if you would be.'

'I'm not scared. It's just that this is all crap.' He glared at Megan. 'What are you trying to do to me?'

'Easy.' Grady was frowning thoughtfully. 'The cliff, Megan?'

Megan nodded jerkily. 'That's what Renata's guessing. I don't know how this Pandora stuff works but it may be triggered by extreme emotion. I was scared out of my mind when Harley grabbed me. It was life or death.'

'And you were angry and afraid when Sienna crunched your hand.'

'I still won't admit that I did that to Sienna. It could have been Molino.'

'And it could have been you,' Renata said baldly. 'Stop hiding your head.'

'It wouldn't do any good when you keep making me face it. Do you mind if I ignore that ugliness for a moment?' Her gaze was fixed eagerly on Harley. 'You're darn right I'm excited, Grady. This is the first positive thing that's happened to me since all of this started. Harley, I know that it's hard to accept and we don't know exactly how your gift works, but I'll work with you. We'll all work with you.'

'No, you won't. Because it's not true.' Harley was scowling. 'I know that I'm as normal as I've been all my life. I'm not like you guys who are-'

'Freaks?' Megan supplied. She smiled. 'It's like looking in a mirror. I reacted the same way.'

'Keep your mirror.' Harley started to turn away. 'I'm very happy the way I am and I'm not going to let you convince me that-'

'What?' Megan's smile faded. 'Why are you behaving this way? This is something wonderful. After I thought about it, I realized that your being a healer isn't that foreign to your nature. Whenever I've been with you, I've been aware of a sort of… comfort. Just being around you brought a kind of healing when I was upset.'

'Imagination.' Harley's lips were set and stubborn. 'And I'm not seeing any of this as wonderful.'

Megan couldn't believe it. She had expected a little resistance but not this total rejection. Why couldn't he see the boundless possibilities? 'And do you think I like this? The last thing I want in the world is to be a Pandora. Do you think I'm looking forward to walking on eggs, afraid to reach out to anyone? So far all anyone has told me is that it can drive people mad and kill them. But I touched you and you're not mad and now you have a gift I'd give anything in the world to possess.' She added simply, 'You're my salvation, Harley. You're proof that my being a Pandora can do some good in this world.'

'I don't want to be your salvation,' Harley said roughly. 'Even if I could, I wouldn't want to be tied down. My God, I've been running away from responsibility all my life. And now you're trying to put a yoke around my neck? Thanks, but no thanks. I'm out of here.'

'Then I'll follow you,' Megan said. 'I don't have time for you to spend six months or a year getting used to the idea that you're a healer. Phillip needs you now.'

'Phillip?'

'It was the first thought I had when Renata told me about that healed wound.'

'I'm supposed to lay my hand on him and make him come back to the world?'

'You're supposed to try.'

For a moment Harley's expression changed, softened. 'I'm sorry, Megan. I can't be what you want me to be. Even if I believed all this nonsense I couldn't…' He turned and walked away.

Megan stared after him in frustration and disbelief. 'I'm going after him.'